THE BUZZ

The White House is pulling out all the stops to save Republican Congressman Mike Bost, who last night faced Democrat Brendan Kelly in their first televised debate for the 12th District.

Story Continued Below

Bost will greet U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue at a Belleville town hall today. On Saturday, President Donald Trump will also be Downstate in Murphysboro to campaign with Bost. House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., already did a swing with the incumbent.

Before that, voters got to see the candidates debate Tuesday and their differences were noticeable from the outset—even down to how they dressed. Bost wore a conservative suit and Kelly an open collared shirt—no jacket. And Green Party candidate Randy Auxier stood between them dressed in white.

Bost ticked off his experience and endorsements. Kelly, meanwhile, told one story after another about people whose lives address each of the debate subjects thrown their way: from national debt to health care to a personal story related to abortion—how Kelly’s wife chose to keep a child when she was very young, before marrying Kelly.

Kelly, a state’s attorney, even told a story about Bost—about taking him on a ride-along in a police car to show him struggling neighborhoods. There was no follow-up from Bost, Kelly said, not even after Trump was elected and Bost had the GOP firepower to “get some things done.”

Kelly, who was last to address the audience, called out Bost for name-dropping politicos and all his union endorsements, “But one thing you didn’t mention was an actual person in southern Illinois.”

Details:

POLITICO’s latest Race Ratingsreport has the Bost-Kelly contest leaning Republican with 13 days before the midterm elections.

NationalDemocrats are stepping up their attention into the race, too. The Democrat-aligned House Majority PAC is dropping an ad in the race that calls Bost “a career politician” who’s beholden to special interests. The $680,000 ad buy is part of the super PAC’s 16-state ad blitz. Ad here

MORE BUZZ

Lori Lightfoot accused Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle of trying to “bully” her out running for mayor and of strong-arming Fritz Kaigi, the Dem nominee for Cook County assessor, too.

“There’s a rumor floating around that I’m going to step down and take a deal, as someone (working) in a Toni Preckwinkle administration,” Lightfoot told a crowd gathered at a City Club luncheon at Maggiano’s Banquets. “Let me be clear. That’s never happening.”

Lightfoot reiterated her complaint after the speech, referring to Preckwinkle as “a party boss,” and adding, “I’m not going to hand over my integrity to someone like Toni Preckwinkle.” Lightfoot also accused Preckwinkle of purposely leaving Kaegi off the county party’s initial sample mailer because she is “trying to punish him” for beating her pal Joe Berrios, who lost to Kaegi in the primary. “This guy won the election fair and square,” Lightfoot said. “They’re trying to seek retribution against him for taking on one of the most corrupt public officials of our time, Joe Berrios. The fact that Toni Preckwinkle keeps wrapping her arms around him and protecting him speaks volumes about who she is.”

The tension between the two mayoral candidates—both African American women who could draw similar constituencies—indicates the challenge Preckwinkle, who’s seen as the frontrunner, faces in trying to shore up a spot in the runoff.

A spokeswoman for Preckwinkle’s mayoral campaign denied her boss is a bully. “No one has offered Lori Lightfoot or anyone else a job in the administration,” Monica Trevino said in an emailed statement. She added that Kaegi “will be on the upcoming mailer which goes out to 200,000 democratic households in Cook County.”

CAMPAIGNS

— Hultgren, Underwood spar over health care, taxes during west suburban congressional forum, by Tribune’s Patrick O’Connell and Mike Riopell: Democrat Lauren Underwood focused her attacks against Republican U.S. Rep. Randy Hultgren on health care during what’s likely to be the only broadcast debate of “an increasingly intense campaign for Congress in the far northern and western suburbs.” Underwood was an adviser in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under President Barack Obama. She contends the GOP health care efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act last year would have offered fewer protections to people with pre-existing conditions such as her heart condition. Story here

— Speaking of bullies. Susana Mendoza has a new ad out, in which she’s featured saying, “I love standing up to big bullies.” Don’t get any ideas—this is for her comptroller race. A narrator describes Mendoza as “an agent of change” and “one tough lady” who has “transformed the comptroller’s office.” The Democrat known for taking on Gov. Bruce Rauner is considering a run for mayor, too, but won’t make a call on that until after the Nov. 6 election. Ad here

— Look for Ameya Pawar to jump in to the city treasurer’s race now that his friend, Kurt Summers, has decided not to seek re-election. POLITICO hears Pawar would make the move with the support of the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 150. Pawar is the 47th Ward alderman who campaigned eight years ago that he wouldn’t serve more than two terms. Pawar is a fall fellow at University of Chicago’s Institute of Politics run by former Obama strategist David Axelrod. Pawar also serves as executive director of One Illinois, a statewide non-profit news outlet.

— How Amara Enyia got Kanye’s backing and what she makes of his Trump support, by Tribune’s Bill Ruthhart: Story here

— ‘Very probable’ that Chance the Rapper will do a fundraising concert for Enyia, writes Sun-Times’ Fran Spielman: Story here

— Rauner repeatedly declined to use the profanity uttered in his TV attack ad against Pritzker, by Tribune’s Rick Pearson: Story here

— Judge to clear up muddied water in Metropolitan Water Reclamation District race, by Sun-Times’ Alexandra Arriaga: Story here

ENDORSEMENTS

— Rep. Peter Roskam has been endorsed by the local chapters of Chicago Regional Council of Carpenters and the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150. The Republican candidate for the 6th District also got a statement of support from the local chapter of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association.

— Bob Morgan, a Deerfield Democrat running for the House of Representatives, snagged endorsements from the Tribune and Sun-Times.

CHICAGO

— Chicago drivers will be able to buy four-month city vehicle stickers starting in 2019 and perhaps get some relief from costly late fees and tickets as city Clerk Anna Valencia tries to persuade some of the hundreds of thousands of car owners who don’t have the stickers to purchase them, writes Tribune’s John Byrne: Story here

— State high court denies Rauner bid for union contract appeal, writes the Associated Press, “The Illinois Supreme Court has declined a request to bypass a lower court and immediately take up Gov. Bruce Rauner’s case for imposing pay and working conditions on members of the state’s largest public employees’ union.” Story here

— A new study shows closure of six Dynegy-Vistra coal plants by 2030 could reduce the state’s emissions by as much as 48 percent. “If Illinois wants to be a climate leader, wants to protect its residents’ health and wants to clean up its air, then we must close additional coal plants and close them faster,” said Jessica Collingsworth, co-author of the study by Union of Concerned Scientists. Replacing shuttered plants with solar, wind and other clean energy could also prevent premature deaths, heart attacks and hospital visits for asthma and cardiovascular problems, the study notes.

— Flint water crisis on Rauner administration’s mind after Quincy Legionnaires’ outbreak, by WBEZ's Dave McKinney and Tony Arnold: Months after a Legionnaires' outbreak killed 12 at the Illinois Veterans Home in Quincy, the Rauner administration internally circulated news stories about the liability of officials in the Flint, Mich., water crisis and their response to a similarly deadly spate of Legionnaires' cases. Story here

TAKING NAMES

— Rick Gates, senior vice president of Pharmacy and Healthcare at Deerfield-based Walgreens is attending today’s opioid event at the White House. Walgreens has installed more than 1,000 safe medication disposal kiosks around the country and collected more than 400 tons on unwanted medications.

— We stand corrected on a few notable names. That wasn’t Tom Ricketts attending Mike Quigley’s birthday party the other day-- although plausible since Quigley has a friendly relationship with the Cubs and the Ricketts. A few folks thought they saw the Cubs CEO and wondered what was up, given the Ricketts’ family is battling with Quigley’s friend, Ald. Tom Tunney (who was at the party). Good drama if it was true. And Terry Cosgrove is chairman of the Friends of Austin Baidas, an aldermanic candidate, not the Neighbors for a Better Lakeview. They’re different groups both supported by the Ricketts and with one target: Ald. Tunney.

MEDIA MATTERS

ICYMI: Jim Kirk, the Chicago journalist who most recently helped Tribune Publishing steer the Los Angeles Times and New York Daily News, is back in town. He’s been named publisher and executive editor for Crain’s. The move is expected to return the business mag to covering more hard business news. Daily Herald media reporter Robert Feder has the story here.

WHERE'S THE MAYOR

On the West Side delivering remarks at the JoAnne L. Cicchelli Middle School groundbreaking ceremony. Then at 11th District CPD to announce 107 new officers hitting the street.

Follow Us

About The Author : Shia Kapos

Shia Kapos is a reporter for POLITICO and author of POLITICO's Illinois Playbook, the most indispensable morning newsletter for influencers in Illinois government and politics.

Prior to joining POLITICO, she wrote the popular Taking Names column for the Chicago Sun-Times (and before that Crain’s Business). She’s also had stints at Dealreporter and the Salt Lake Tribune. Shia’s career has been built on breaking news and landing sit-down interviews with notable names and personalities. She’s covered billionaires on the rise and lawmakers’ precipitous falls—and all the terrain in between.